For many years, the most powerful and track-focused Ford Mustang models have worn the name of the legendary tuner, Carroll Shelby. Mustangs like the Shelby GT350 and the all-new 2020 GT500 are plenty fast with 526 and 760 horsepower respectively, but did you know there are even more potent models that bear Shelby's name? The GT350 and GT500 are both built directly by Ford and can be ordered straight from any Ford dealership. But Shelby American still maintains its own business building cars in Las Vegas, Nevada, including tuned F-150 Raptors, continuation Cobras, and Mustangs like the Hertz GT-H rental car, and the 800 hp Super Snake model.

During the launch event for the new Shelby GT500, we were taken to Shelby's Heritage Center in Las Vegas, where we had a chance to speak with representatives from Ford and Shelby American about the possibility of a new model with even more power.

Cars from Shelby American are what is known as a "post-sale car" according to Ford Performance Marketing Manager, Jim Owens. "With a post-sale car, you purchase the car, then send over to Shelby for modification." In the case of the GT500, this means Shelby American will likely offer various packages where customers can make their car even faster than the standard car, which is already blisteringly quick.

The standard GT500 already produces 760 hp from a 5.2-liter supercharged V8. When we asked how much a tuned version from Shelby American would produce, Owens said it would have to be "at least 1,000 [horsepower]" considering the massive tuning potential built into the Predator engine.

Shelby American already builds a model called the Super Snake, which produces 800 hp from a supercharged version of Ford's Coyote V8. We asked if the Super Snake name could be applied to a faster version of the GT500 but Shelby American President Gary Patterson told us, "that name is currently reserved for our 5.0-liter model." When questioned about what other names could be used, Patterson gave a big smile and said, "it may be a new name, or maybe a name from the past."

While the name still remains a mystery, there is no doubt Shelby American plans to offer a tuned version of the GT500. So if 760 hp simply isn't enough for you, don't fret, because a more powerful Mustang is on the way.